Interview 14 - Thomas Pecanac

Hello! What's your athletic background and what initially motivated you to transform your body?

I'm Thomas Pecanac, 20 years old, and I'm living in Paris. I began playing sports at the age of 5 with Karate and Football. Football was my passion but one day, I broke my leg in a football match. Not being able to play anymore, I decided to get up and start doing push ups and pull ups at home. Great results motivated me after a couple of weeks. Since then, I've never stopped building my physique and now it's more than a sport for me — it's my lifestyle.

“[...] some advice for first-timers: learn the right form and movements in the gym, learn about nutrition, take rest days, have good sleeping habits, understand your body and most importantly, be patient.”

What's your approach to diet and nutrition?

When I prepare for a competition, I have a very strict diet. I eat fewer carbs and fat but I up the protein. In the off-season, I have a less strict diet but I have some restrictions for keeping a good physique every year. I eat between 5 to 7 times a day. Eggs, chicken, white cheese, meat, fish, fruits, rice, quinoa, peanut butter, almonds, and olive oil. Those are my main sources of nutrition during a bulking period. I use a cheat meal two times a week when I train my weakness. Before training, I take one banana with a little black chocolate. Afterwards, I eat some speed carbs with ham slices and peanut butter.

Do you supplement your nutrition with any sport supplements?

Yes, I take omega 3 and multivitamins during the day, BCAA and maltodextrin during my training, boosters, and whey protein isolate when I don't have the time to eat chicken or another protein source.

What does your typical week of working out look like?

In general, my training lasts between 45 minutes to 2 hours. It depends on my structure for the day, how I feel and the muscles I'll train. I love to train legs and recommend making a bi-set or tri-set. I'll do front squats, back squats, leg extensions, Romanian deadlifts etc. In general, I perform exercises where I feel the most resistance for each muscle. Typically, I train each muscle group 1-2 times a week, depending on how developed the muscle group is for me.

Have you found anything to be especially helpful or advantageous?

I've always searched for information on forums, books, and YouTube. I've Googled "How to have big arms?" and "How to make clean muscle?" to improve my knowledge. I try to heed the experience of others for finding things that can help me improve. A lot of bodybuilders like Tom Platz, Frank Zane, and Arnold, have influenced me through magazines and YouTube videos.

What mistakes have you made along the way?

Of course, I've made mistakes in many ways, but it's normal — everybody starts as a beginner. Every mistake I've made has helped me become a better athlete and has pushed me to constantly progress.

What are some of the best tips you can offer for others trying to follow in your footsteps?

Each person is different (metabolism, genetics), but some advice for first-timers: learn the right form and movements in the gym, learn about nutrition, take rest days, have good sleeping habits, understand your body and most importantly, be patient.

Where can we find out more about you?

I'm very active on Instagram @tom_pec_jr where I post a lot of photos during or after my training sessions. I also share my sessions on Snapchat at thomas77pec.

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The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace a relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, and make sure that there is no conflict between any prescription advice, procedure or medication and non-prescription substances or activities.